Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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413. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of applications to the warmth and wellbeing scheme to date in 2017; and the number of successful applications. [48104/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Warmth and Wellbeing scheme is a pilot scheme which aims to measure the health and wellbeing impacts of improving the energy efficiency of a person’s home. The scheme is being piloted in Community Healthcare Organisation 7 and is open to people aged 55 and over or 12 and under who are living with chronic respiratory conditions in households that are in receipt of the Fuel Allowance or the One-Parent Family Payment.

I have allocated €20m to the pilot scheme under the Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty.  It began in mid-2016 and will run for the rest of 2017 and 2018. An independent research project will assess the impact the scheme is having. At the conclusion of the scheme, and with independent evidence on its effectiveness, the potential for a wider rollout will be considered. The funding to the scheme should provide for the upgrade of at least 1,500 homes. This is the minimum size needed to develop the evidence base on the impact on the health outcomes of participants of making their homes more energy efficient and warmer, and make the business case for a wider rollout of the scheme.

The Warmth and Wellbeing scheme is a joint policy initiative between my Department and the Department of Health under the Healthy Ireland framework. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and the Health Service Executive are working together to deliver the scheme. The HSE have set up a dedicated team to recruit participants to the Warmth and Wellbeing scheme. They determine eligibility for every person who makes contact with them about the scheme before referring only the eligible applicants to the SEAI. Working with the HSE means that the SEAI do not receive applications from people who are not eligible for the scheme.

Since the beginning of 2017 the HSE team has received approximately 700 queries in relation to the scheme. Of these, just over 500 have been deemed eligible and have been referred on to SEAI to have surveys carried out on their homes and subsequent energy efficiency works.  The scheme is still open for applications and will continue to run in 2018.

The Deputy may also be aware that the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme is available on a nationwide basis to low income households who are at risk of energy poverty. More information on this scheme is available on SEAI’s website at: or Freephone: 1800 250 204.